Katsina State investment in education: A case of Kobo wise, Naira foolish

By Abba Yakubu Abdullah, PhD   At a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State said he will be leaving the education sector of the state in 2023 better than he met it as governor in 2015. He also said his achievements in other sectors like agriculture, health, water […]

By Abba Yakubu Abdullah, PhD

 

At a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State said he will be leaving the education sector of the state in 2023 better than he met it as governor in 2015. He also said his achievements in other sectors like agriculture, health, water and infrastructure development, driven by his “Restoration Agenda” in the last six years, are unprecedented in the modern history of Katsina State. Many took these statements with some reservations as to the validity or sincerity of the governor. The nonpayment of examination fees has been pointed out as the main cause of the perceived indefensible education situation in the state. Nonetheless, the pertinent questions to ask here are, what is the actual state of educational development in Katsina State since the introduction of nonpayment of examination fees by Governor Masari’s administration or is the methodology adopted by the previous administration of blanket payment of examination fees with no evaluation of student performance for its impact helped in developing the education sector in the state? The answer to these dilemmas can only be unravelled through empirical evidence in which numbers will speak louder and factually than conjectures.

In 2015, when the present administration took over the mantle of leadership, there was a deliberate appraisal of the state’s development sectors including agriculture, education, health, etc. under the flagship Restoration Project which came up with far-reaching and radical strategies that will restore the lost glory of Katsina State most especially as centre of western and Islamic education in the North with agro-based dependent economy. 

One of the bold strategies taken by the Masari administration despite the envisaged political backlash, was the stoppage of blanket payment of examination fees. A qualifying examination was thus introduced before students sit for SSSCE as a mock examination to assess how many can be presented with the hope of them getting the requirements needed for entry into tertiary institutions. The approach adopted was to pay for WAEC and NECO for only those who score five credits including Maths and English in the qualifying (mock) examination and for those who have three credits and two passes only, NECO or NABTEB or NBAIS will be paid for them as against the previous government’s policy of paying for all and JAMB examinations for everybody irrespective of the students’ performance.

The pertinent question here is which of the two strategies is kobo wise and which is a naira foolish investment, let the numbers speak for themselves. Chronological records from 2007 to 2014 reveal that Katsina State 79,044 out 417,576 candidates presented only 19 per cent were able to score maximum performance in SSSCE at credit levels.  The unprecedented students’ performances in examinations during Governor Masari-led administration showed that 73 per cent obtained five credits and above in any subject against the 19 per cent earlier stated pre-2015. Then 299,218 out of 410,523 and 192,404 (47 per cent) obtained five credits including Maths and English. As from 2015 to 2020 there has been gradient fluctuating in students’ examination performance.

In the 2020 WAEC results, 22,874 students sat the exams 19,224 (84%) got credits passes in any subject and 9,313 (41%) obtained five credits, Maths and English inclusive. As for NECO results 48,988 (93%) had five credits in any subjects out of 53,982 candidates, 33,310 (62%) students scored five credits including Maths and English. In NABTEB and NBAIS exams 770 and 22,220 candidates sat respectively out of which 546 (71%) and 22,160 (98%) scored five credits in subjects. Similarly, 498 (65%) and 22,128 (99%) got five credits including Maths and English respectively.

In a nutshell, records from 2007 to 2014, summed up the totality of students who sat for WAEC examinations and obtained five credits as its highest of 11 percent and in NECO examination, the highest of 20 per cent. However, from 2015 to 2020 when WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS results were analysed, it became obvious that Masari’s claim on the achievement in the educational sector is rock-solid. The analysis showed that there was a progressive increment of students sitting for the examination and percentage increase in those obtaining five credits including Maths and English.

Governor Aminu Bello Masari did not, however, gloat over this impressive record performance but remained resolute in improving the performance of education in the state. He prioritised the welfare of teachers and ensured their prompt promotion in addition to clearing the backlog of years of non-promotion. 

To address the shortage of manpower in the education sector, the government recruited 5,000 teachers with NCE and Diploma in education into the S-Power programme to form a reservoir for the replacement of those who might have retired, died, or left the service. At the secondary school level, about 2,000 graduate teachers were also employed under the S-Power programme to serve in the reservoir. In all these, the government introduced minimum of 7,000 teachers into the education sector to augment the shortfall of teachers.

Infrastructural development of the sector was also given due consideration despite the paucity of funds. Classrooms were decongested by building new ones and renovating dilapidated ones. Seven new secondary schools were built, 38 completely rehabilitated, 57 partially renovated and over 2,000 primary schools’ classrooms rehabilitated, and new ones built across the state. Comfort of students was also enhanced by the provision of 30,448 3-seater classroom furniture and all these were made possible by the increase in budgetary allocation to education sector by 300 per cent. 

Social mobilization for the values of education was carried in communities by engaging traditional and religious leaders on the importance of child education in the modern world.

The main challenge to this success, however, is management and maintenance. The concern here is what to do with this large number of students that are qualifying for entry into university where admission spaces are limited. Governor Masari in this dire situation came up with strategies for those who could not proceed to tertiary institutions. The state government in partnership with UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Mafita Project renovated and equipped 12 vocational training centres which are turning out skilled young men and women with the aim of becoming self-employed and the restoration of education as an all-inclusive value addition system. 

The government also introduced Katsina Talent Hunt to unleash the start-up potentials of young graduating students so that they can stand on their own. What remains is for the government to remain resolute in this endeavour and allocate more funds to the state-owned university and other tertiary institutions with the hope to increase their absorptive capacities.

 Abdullah is Special Adviser on Agriculture and Natural Resources to the Governor, Katsina State